When Naaman the Syrian arrived at the door of the prophet Elisha to be cured of his leprosy, he came fully loaded, weighed down with gifts of thankfulness. He chariots and horses lugged more than 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing to give to the King of Israel. He showed himself to be a thankful leper, knowing that it is meet, right, and salutary so to do. Especially to give thanks to God and His servants for the healing of leprosy.

Giving thanks is innate. It is built into us. So even though Naaman didn’t know the true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Elisha the prophet, he still knew by nature that it was good to give thanks.

The nine lepers in the Gospel operated on the same principal as Naaman. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the nine lepers weren’t thankful - they were. They didn’t have the gold or silver of Naaman. But they wouldn’t be approaching the priests empty-handed. For after being examined by the priest, according to Levitical code they were required to bring animals for a sacrifice of thanksgiving - two birds and two lambs.

They would also be required to shave their heads, wash their clothes, and finally, on the eighth day be inspected on ear, thumb and toe and be declared “clean.” Assuming they were Jews, they had an obligation and a duty to be thankful. They certainly give sufficient thanks according to the Law of Moses.

Yet they are not the one whom our Lord commends. Where are the nine? Jesus knows. But He asks in order to direct you toward the one who returned; to follow in the way of the Samaritan.

Last week you heard about a Samaritan who showed mercy to one in need and you were instructed by Jesus to go and do likewise (Lk 10:37). Now you are given another example by a Samaritan, who offers right praise and thanksgiving to God.

But he returns empty handed, you say. He has no gold. No silver. No birds. No lambs. He simply believes. He falls down before Jesus’ feet with empty hands, but with a heart full of faith, glorifying and confessing Jesus to be the true God and Giver of every gift. He didn’t need to walk to the priests to be declared clean - he had the great merciful and faithful and compassionate High Priest right in front of him! He didn’t need to go to the Temple in Jerusalem , he’s a Samaritan, he wouldn’t have been allowed in anyway - but, God’s true Temple, the flesh of Jesus, had come to his village and he was fully welcomed.

The religion of Naaman, the religion of the nine lepers, certainly seems reasonable. It is the religion of obligation. God gives you something, you give Him something back. You better be sufficiently thankful. Quid pro quo. You owe God. It makes sense. It seems right. That’s the way it is in the world. There’s no free lunch.

But that is not the way it is in the Kingdom of Heaven.

In the Kingdom of Heaven to which you have been called, to you all is simply and freely given. No strings attached. You owe God nothing. It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. To give you everlasting life by the Word and Cross of Christ. To declare you clean by His Word of Absolution. To deal with you by grace, not quid pro quo. To freely bestow upon you His righteousness out of His boundless mercy and love.

You owe Him nothing. He doesn’t need your good works. But your neighbor does. Jesus places the cleansed leper back on his way; that is, the way of wisdom, the path of instruction, living by faith toward God and in fervent love toward those around him. Freely giving as he freely received (Mt 10:8).

But we have trouble with this. We give to those we like. We give to those who we know will appreciate it. We give to those who will show themselves properly thankful. Our Christmas card is easily pruned of those who send us no cards. We give with strings attached But the Lord gives to you freely, with no thought of repayment. He expects nothing in return.

How could you thank him enough? What could you possibly give him? Your mind? Filled as it is with thoughts of lust, immorality, selfish ambition, envy, jealousy? What can you possibly give Him? Your lips? Filled as they are with unclean language, cruel remarks, outbursts of wrath? Your heart? Filled as it is with a love for money, pleasure, and the easy-life? As one theologian put it, “The heart is a rusty old tin can on a junk heap.”

These are our leprosy. Eating us away from the inside. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit. And our thankfulness is shallow, fleeting, and self-interested.

But Christ came to cleanse you from the inside out. To remove your leprous heart and give you a clean heart. To take on your death and restore your flesh in the resurrection. He who was on His way to Jerusalem and drew near to the village of the lepers, has drawn near, also, to you. He became what you are in order that you might become what He is. He became a leper, an outcast. He is on His way to Jerusalem to die for all ten of these lepers. To be crucified for the sins of the whole world. To die in your place. He knew His whole life would lead to the Cross; and indeed your whole life flows from His Cross.

For though we considered Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, as the prophet says (Is 53:4). Another way to render it is, we esteemed Him a leper, smitten of God and afflicted [Vulgate]But He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him. By His scourging you are healed. He is the holy Lamb of God offered for all us lepers.

The prophet Elisha directed Naaman to dip in the Jordan River seven times. And he was healed. So you were directed to Holy Baptism where Christ’s Word came to you in those life-giving waters, washing you clean, and granting you the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. He took you from your death and welcomed you into His everlasting Kingdom.

The Lord, as He walked along, saw your rusty old tin can of a heart, and had pity on you. He placed His walking stick in it, picked it up, and took it home. Its on His mantle. His pride and joy. You belong to Christ and have crucified your flesh with its passions and desires. He has removed your sin, your death, your eternal punishment, and has put in His Spirit by His Word. That is the Spirit of which St Paul speaks, the Spirit that now works in you love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Walking in the Spirit in the way of Wisdom.

So come and give thanks. But do what the leper did and come empty handed, ready to receive. For this is the posture of faith, which receives from Christ and says, “More, please.” This is the highest form of worship, to receive what the Lord gives. As the old prayer before the Lord’s Supper says, “What shall I render to the Lord, for all His benefits to me? I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord.” From the Church’s beginning we have called the Supper, “the Eucharist,” the thanksgiving. This is the best thanksgiving. The Eucharist that takes Him at His Word and receives from Him.

In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.